Can closure



y 1932- L. HIRSCH ET AL 1,866,467

GAN' CLOSURE Original Filed March 29, 1929 7i ATTRK EYZ v Patented July 5, 1932 LEONARD CE, OF LYNDH'UBST, AND EDWIN A.

assrenons To a. n. DAVIS comm, or EOBOKEN, zmw m, a coroaa'rroie OF NEW JERSEY CAN CLOSURE Application filed March 29', 1929, Serial Fa. 851,063. Renewed December 28, 1981.

This invention relates to a novel and improved form of top for cans, for example, cans used for baking powder, or the like, and

v also to the novel and improved method of making such cans. The invention will be best understood from the following description and the annexed drawing, in which we have shown an illustrated embodiment of the can top and one method of making it. In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section, of a can having the top vconstructed according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentarysection on the-same,

plane as the sectional part of Fig. 1, but on an enlarged scale and showing the invention in greater detail.

Fi 3 shows a blank from which the top may made. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7 8 and 9 show successive a central recess 4 ada ted to receive the usual plug type of cover 1ndicated at 5, all in a mainner well. kplown t-(llifinart.

t is essenti in an certain types of products, such as baking wder, to provide a container which sealed, so as to prevent the entrance moisture. It is not unusual fora can/of; baking powder, or the like, to be kelpt for many months before being used, an during that time it is of course highly essential that, moisture should not reach the contents of the can. In the past, various methods have been tried to seal the cans in which such products are shipped, but all revious expedients have been defective or o 'ectionable for one reason or another. Accor to our invention, we provide a frangible sealing member which can be readily cut .out with an ordinary be adeguately.

kitchen knife without danger of cutting the hand of the operator due to anyraggled edge caused by the cutting out. We furt er provide an arrangement by which the sealing member is secured to the top by a tight joint.

We will now describe the method by which the novel top is preferably made, and for that purpose reference is had particularly to Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive. 1

In Fig. 3 is shown a blank with which the 'method may start, this blank being in the form of a cup-shaped member 6 having a flat disc-shaped bottom 7 connected to a peripheral wall 8 which is preferably cylindrical. The cylindrical wall is shown as extending in a verticah direction, and in the inthe process, the blank itself is-placed between suitable dies and brought to the form shown in Fig. 4. By this ste the central recess 4 is formed with a cyhndrical wall", and the bottom 7 is made smaller in diameter. A flat portion 9 is also provided substantially parallel to the bottom 7 and "connected to a flange 10 extending circumferentially I thereof. 7

By the next step, the top, by the operation of suitable dies, is brought to the form shown in Fig. 5, the flange 10. being flattened and made parallel with the bottom 7 and the portion 9 being formed with the gutter '11, as plainly shown, this gutter being adapted to receive the beaded edge 12 of the usual cover.

or the like. By the first step By the next operation, the result of which is seen in Fig. 6, the bottom 7 is depressed with respect to the surrounding wall13 and a fold. 14 is formed, the metal of the depressed portion of the fold lying. in close 0011- tact with the metal of the wall. At the same time, a recess or depression 15 is formed in I the bottom 7.

By the next step, illustrated in Fig. 7, an

opening is formed in the bottom 7 the edges which are indicated at 16.

The next step is to place over the opening a sealin member 17, this sealing member preferably tively frangible material as contrasted with the metallic and relatively non-frangible material of the rest of the top. The fold-14 is then bent to the position shown in Fig. 9, and to better advantage in Fig. 2, and it will be seen that during this bending the fold enters the recess and securely clamps therein the edge portion of the sealing member. The result is an air-tight joint which will adequately prevent the passage of moisture to the contents of the'can. This joint moreover is a mechanical one, made "by overlapping and folding together adjacent portions of the top and the sealing member. By the term mechanical, we intendto exclude soldering or welding which, while they might result in a tight joint if carefully made, nevertheless require extreme care in forming and are consequently expensive and uncertain in results. The entire top may then be secured to-the can after the contents have been placed therein in the usual manner.

When it is desired to use anyof the contents, the sealing member may be easily cut with a knive and removed, and this cutting does not. form any ragged edge of metal to endanger the fingers of the operator. The sealing member may be made of any suitable material such as pasteboard, or the transparent material commercially known as cellophane. By this means the contents of the can may be observed upon removal of the cover 5. a

We also contemplate using paper, either plain, coated or waxed, and thin aluminum which will not form a ragged edge when cut. The joint between the top and the sealing member maybe made still tighter by placing in the recess 15 a suitable sealing compound, which, when the fold 14 is bent into the rece ss, will fill any spaces in the joint which mlght otherwise cause leakage. A similar result may be obtained by using a sealing member which is coated with paraifine or the like, which will be heated during the sealing step and thus flow into any spaces which may exist. In any case, the sealing may be done with automatic sealing machinery.

Referring now to Figs. 10 and 11, we have shown therein a slightly different form of sealing member designated 18, this having a circumferentially extending flange 19 which extends parallel to the wall 13 of the top. The top is formed in the same manner as before, and when the fold 14 is bent into the recess 15, the flange 19 on the sealing member will take some such position as that indicated in Fig. 11, the flange 19 folding up against the body of the sealing member to form a double layer of metal. In this form, as in the others,

being of non-metallic and relathe joint may be rendered more tight by means of a sealing compound, and this may be applied, for example, in any of the waysmentioned above, ''or in any other suitable readily made by suitable dies, without the dies at any time comingein contact with the frangible sealing mem r. This is a very material advantage, because of the fact that.

it avoidsdamage to that member.

In both forms shown, it will also be seen that there is provided a three-ply seam in.

which the central ply is formed by one or more thicknesses of the sealing member and in which the two plies on opposite sides of thecentral ply are formed by portions of the top, each of these two plies, in turn, being formed of either one or more thicknesses of metal, as the case may be. In each form shown, it is also seen that the seam is deformed from the plane of the sealing member, this being the result of forming the recess or depression 15 and forcing the sealing member thereinto. ile we have shown the invention as embodied in a specific form, it is to be understood that various changes in details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and we therefore do not intend to limit ourselves except by the appended claims.

We claim y 1. A can closure having a recess surrounded by a vertically extending wall of sheet material, said wall having its lower edge turned inwardly to constitute a wall edge portion and said recesshaving a bottom spaced alon the wall from said turned in lower edge 0% the wall, said bottom having an opening therein, and a Sealing member engaging the lower surface of said bottom and extending across said opening, said turned in wall edge portion engaging said sealing member and holding it against said bottom.

2. A can closure having a recess surrounded by a vertically extending wall of sheet material, said wall having its lower edge turned inwardly to constitute a wall edge portion and said recess having a bottom spaced along the wall from said turned in lower edge of the wall, said bottom having an opening therein and having adepression in its lower surface surrounding said opening, and a sealing member extending across said opening and into said depression, said turned in wall edge portion engaging said sealing member and holding it in engagement with said bottom and in said depression therein.

3. A can closure having a recess surrounded by a vertically extending wall of sheet material, thelower edge of said wall being in the form of a fold turned inwardly, one layer of said fold being disposed inwardly of the other and terminating in an inwardly extending portion constituting the bottom of said recess, said bottom having an opening therein, and a sealing member engaging the lower surface of said bottom and extending across said opening, said turned infold engaging said scaling member and holdinglit against the bottom.

4, A can closure having a recess surrounded by a vertically extending wall of sheet material, the lower edge of said wall being in the form of a fold turned inwardly, one layer of said fold being disposed inwardly of the other and terminating in an inwardly extending portion constituting the bottom of said recess, said bottom having an opening therein and having a depression in its lower surface surrounding said opening, and a sealing member extending across said opening and intosaid depression, said turned in fold engaging said'sealing member and holding it in engagement with said bottom and in said depression therein.

5. A can closure having a recess surrounded by a vertically extending wall of sheet material, said wall having its lower edge turned inwardly to constitute a wall edge portion and said recess having a bottom spaced along the wall from said turned in lower edge of the wall, said bottom having an opening therein, a sealing member engaging the lower surface of said bottom andextending across said opening, said turned in wall edge portion engaging said sealing member and holding it against said bottom, and the portion of the sealing member between said permanentlysealed to the upper edge of said across said opening adjacent the bottom of said vertically extending wall, the edge portion of said vertically extending wall overlapping and engaging the edge portion of said sealing member and constituting therewith a three-ply seam, said three-ply seam being deformed or crimped out of the plane of said sealing member and being located inside and above the lowest limits of the top.

-8. In combination, a can comprising a peripheral wall and a top, said top being formed of a single piece of relatively nonfrangible sheet metal having its outer edges permanently sealed to the upper edge of said wall and extending inwardly therefrom and having a centrally disposed opening therein surrounded by a vertically extending wall, a substantially flat sealing member of relatively frangible sheet material extending across said opening within said vertically extending wall, the edge portion of said vertically extending wall overlapping and engaging the edge portion of said sealing member and constituting therewith a three-ply seam, said three-ply seam being deformed or crimped out of the plane of said sealing member and being located inside and above the lowest limits of the to LEtgNARD HIRSCH. EDWIN A. HARRISS.

bottom and said turned in wall edge portion 1 being folded into a plurality of thicknesses.

6. A can closure having a recess surrounded by a vertically extending wall of sheet material, the lower edge-of said wall being in the form of a fold turned inwardly, one layer of said fold being disposed inwardly of the other and terminating in an inwardly extending portion constituting the bottom of said recess, said bottom having an opening therein and having a depression in its lowerv surface surrounding said opening, a sealing member extending across said opening and into said depresslon, said turned in fold engaging said sealing member and holding it in engagement with said bottom and v in said depression therein, and the portion of the sealing member between said bottom and said turned in fold being folded into a plurality of thicknesses.

7. In combination, a can comprising a peripheral wall and a top, said top being formed of a single piece of relatively non-- frangible "sheet metal having its outer edges 

